Month: February 2011

Before I spoke to Mike Walmsley, I didn’t know Special Chief Inspectors existed. But although Walmsley’s police career takes place out of hours, it’s very real indeed. By day, you’ll find him on a building site in Macclesfield managing the construction of a new primary school; during his evenings and weekends, he chases criminals, hunts for stolen cars and keeps the peace in the uniform of Greater Manchester Police. And, he admits, it is just as exciting as it looks on the television: “It doesn’t stop. You can go down and work any time, there’ll always be something happening. I’ve been to fights, murders, pursuits. I’ve chased people on foot and in the car, through city centres, through fields, through people’s back gardens. If it was easy all the time, I don’t think I’d be into it.” The full interview appears in Construction Manager.

About me

I am an experienced journalist, copywriter and editor who has covered the built environment for nearly 20 years. I’ve interviewed thousands of senior executives, politicians and experts in many fields and travelled to report on stories throughout Europe, the US, the Gulf states and India. My articles have appeared in many business and professional titles including Building, Estates Gazette, Inside Housing, the Bartlett Review, Insurance Times and Lloyd’s Market. I am co-author, with architect Bill Gething, of Design for Climate Change, published by RIBA, and I launched and edit The Possible, a thought leadership magazine for global engineering firm WSP. I'm also co-founder of Wordmule, an editorial studio that specialises in buildings and cities.